Yamada Clan
The are ronin who serve as sword testers and executioners. They are also infamously known as or . Overview Duties In the clan, those who are given the name are task with testing new swords on corpses and executing convicted criminals. They are highly skilled with the sword, being able to cut off a person's head while leaving a single flap of skin attached to the body, a feat which is considered difficult given how complex the human neck is. Women who chose to become an Asaemon in the Yamada clan are looked down upon and are viewed as being unworthy of such position as the next head. Although sword wielding and executing is the clan's main focus, they also create medicine by examining corpses. Ranking The Yamada clan have a ranking system to determine the next suitable head. Each Asaemon are ranked based on their level of skill with the Tameshi Ittō-ryū. However, abilities are not the only qualifications that determines the ranking of a Asaemon. If a Asaemon displays a unique quality, such as high knowledge in a certain field, then they have a chance to receive a rank as well. In some occasions, the ranking does not necessarily define the strength of the Asaemon. Despite the fact that Yamada Asaemon women are looked down on for pursuing a career as an executioner, they are still eligible to gain a ranking, though they will be given a lower rank regardless of their strength possibly being higher. In the case of Shugen, despite being below Eizen, the highest ranked Asaemon, he is recognized as the strongest member in the Yamada clan. Unranked are Yamada Asaemon who do not have a ranking due to their lacking in certain areas. So far, Kiyomaru and Isuzu are the only known unranked Asaemon. Kiyomaru was not given a ranking due to being too young, while Isuzu was not given a ranking because of her gender. Despite being unranked they are nevertheless undoubtedly skilled as proof by the fact that they have earned their names. As a matter of fact, unlike the first group of Asaemon that partaken in the shogun's mission, the unranked were chosen for the next team based on pure ability alone. Members Appearance The Asaemon wear kosode, which is colored white to express their sorrow for the condemned, a hakama that bears a single red band at the left gusset, a red waist cord to hold their katana, and sandals. Tied to their left collar is a bell dangling. The purpose of the bell is to console the soul of the deceased when it rings whenever the Asaemon begins to behead their victims. An Asaemon can also have their uniforms customize to better suit them. They also have the option of wearing either a black haori aligned with stitches or a black kataginu with diamond shaped reefs on each shoulder over their uniform. Historical Reference The Yamada Clan are based off of the real-life line sword testers of the historical Yamada Asaemon. Up to the early 19th century, the Yamada Asaemon family served the Tokugawa Shogunate as ronin sword testers, as well as executing criminals by incorporating Tameshigiri. The Yamada Clan also reference the nickname of , the protagonist of Samurai Executioner. Yamada Asaemon was a ronin who was responsible for testing new swords for the shogun and was known as "Neck-Chopper Asa". Trivia *According to the side story, the technique in which the Asaemon decapitates a victims head leaving only a single flap of skin attached to the body is called . Another technique was given called where the Asaemon cuts the bodies of two corpses stack together in half. *Shion and Jikka are the only known Asaemon to not wear their funerary bell attached tied to their collars. The reason for Shion's being that the noise made him feel uncomfortable. Category:Clans